Liquid fuel burner



Feb. 14, 1939. l.. WILLIAMS LIQUID FUEL BURNER Filed Sept. 4, 1937 .5 Sheets-Sheet l fall Feb. 14, 1939. L. L MLLIAMS 2,147,225

LIQUID FUEL BURNER Filed sept. 4,' 1937 v 5 Sheets-sheet 2 6 27 "49| M f 6 39 II y Z4 76 77 Z4 I vl '75 5 f5 i 2f I I I Il g3 .KIM

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Feb. 14, 1939. L l.. WILLIAMS 2,147,225

I LIQUID FUEL BURNER Filed Sept, '4, '1957 a sheets-sheet s' arf .one aaneen...nalinoolollnolnsnoillolnunen Y' INVENT OR.

Patented Feb. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to liquid fuel burners and more particularly to a burner of simple and economical construction which will operate efciently on kerosene or other suitable liquid fuel. This application is in part a continuation of application Serial No. 558, led January 5, 1935, agd now Patent No. 2,095,403, issued October 12, 1 37.

An object of my invention is to provide a burner of the type having a fuel tank and a wick, and in which novel means is employed for preventing undesirable heating of the fuel tank whereby a more efficient and satisfactory operation of a device of this character is obtained.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved liquid fuel burner of the type having a fuel tank and a wick, and in which a novel wick tube and tank arrangement is employed.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved liquid fuel burner having a housing and a compact burner assembly unit of novel construction removably mounted in the housing and adapted to cooperate with portions of the housing in forming air passages leading to the combustion area.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a partial vertical sectional View taken through a liquid fuel burner embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a partial vertical sectional view similar to that of Fig. l, but on a larger -scale and showing the wick tube and flame spreader in their elevated positions. A

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional plan view taken through the wick tube and adjacent structure as indicated by line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional plan view taken as indicated by line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a partial vertical sectional elevation taken as indicated by line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the burner assembly unit removed from the housing, and

Fig. 7 is a partial perspective view of a modiiied construction.

More detailed reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which I show one embodiment of my liquid fuel burner, but, before proceeding with the detailed description, it should be understood that the drawings are illustrative only, and that the invention may be embodied in various other liquid fuel burners and similar devices.

(Cl. 15S- 94) My improved liquid fuel burner comprises, in general, an upright housing I and a burner assembly unit II removably mounted in the housing. As will be presently explained more in detail, the burner assembly unit is in the form of a drawer-like structure which isslidable into the housing through a front opening thereof with the front panel I2 of the assembly unit closing such opening when the unit has been slid into the housing to its full extent. A liquid fuel tank I 3 having an upright laterally extending wick tube Iii, and a laterally elongated flame spreader I5 pivotally mounted adjacent the upper end of the wick tube form parts of the burner assembly unit, as will be explained more in detail hereinafter.

The housing I0 may be formed with suitably connected and reinforced sheet metal walls comprising upwardly extending converging front and back walls II and I8, and a pair of substantially vertical, spaced inner and outer walls I9 and 2U at each end thereof. The housing also has a top (not shown) and a bottom or floor 2l. As can be best seen from Figs. 1 and 5 of the drawings, the outer end walls 2U extend downwardly t0 the bottom 2| of the housing, but the inner end walls I9 terminate a substantial distance above the bottom wall, as is indicated at ISH. A plate member 22, having one longitudinal edge thereof connected with the rear wall I8, extends forwardly and upwardly, as indicated in Fig. 1, and also extends longitudinally of the housing between the inner end walls I9 and is connected with the latter adjacent their lower edges ISa. Along its forward edge I provide this plate mem- 35 ber with a downturned longitudinal flange 23, to which the lower longitudinal edge of a rearwardly inclined plate member or deflectcr 24 is connected. This lower longitudinal edge of the plate member 24 has a forwardly projecting 40 flange 25 thereon which forms a support for a longitudinally extending combined bumper and sealing member 26. This bumper and sealing member is arranged to be engaged by the flame spreader I5 when the burner assembly unit II has been slid into the housing for its full distance. An upright longitudinal liange 2'I of the bumper and sealing member serves to limit the rearward swinging of the flame spreader on its DVO. v 50 To permit of some variation from standard in the dimensions of the burner assembly unit and the housing, I nd it desirable to mount the bumper and sealing member 2B in a manner to permit limited shifting thereof. For this pur- T55 pose I provide this member with rearwardly extending flange portions 28 and 29, which are spaced to form a longitudinal slot adapted to slidably receive the forwardly extending supporting flange 25. The portion 29 may have a downturned longitudinal edge or flange 30 which is spaced in front of the downturned ange 23 of the plate member 22. Screws 3I extending through the flanges 23 and 30 limit the permissible shifting of the bumper and sealing member 2B toward the front of the housing and compression springs 32 disposed around the screws and between these flanges resist rearward movement of this member when it is engaged by the ame spreader. Thus, the bumper and sealing member 2S is yieldingly supported to be engaged by the flame spreader when the burner assembly unit II is slid into the housing and forms an air seal along the back of the flame spreader and also limits rearward swinging of the latter.

The bottom 2I of the housing may be formed by asheet metal plate which extends between the front and rear walls and longitudinally between the outer end walls 20. This bottom may be strengthened and reenforced by longitudinally extending channel members 33 or the like secured to the underside thereof. Supporting legs 34 may also be provided on the housing at the corners thereof. To facilitate the sliding of the assembly unit II in the housing, I may mount a steel ball or roller 35 in a recess of the floor, at each end of the housing, just inwardly of the end wall 20, and upon which the ends of the burner unit may rest during its sliding movement.

The burner assembly unit I I may have a bottom plate 36, and frame members in the form of end rails 31 which are connected with the bottom plate and with the front panel I2 and extend rearwardly from the latter. End plate members 38 may also be connected with the front panel I2 to extend rearwardly therefrom in spaced relation above the end rails. The frame of this burner unit may be strengthened by suitable means, such as the upright channel members 39 at its ends, each of which is spot-welded or otherwise connected to one of the end rails and the adjacent end plate 38.

As mentioned above, the fuel tank I3 forms a part of the burner assembly unit and as shown in Figs. 1 and 6 this tank may be an elongated tank of suitable construction which is removably supported on the drawer-like structure of the burner unit between the end rails 31 thereof. This tank may be of generally rectangular shape having end walls 4I), front and rear walls 4I and 42, and a top wall 43, and bottom 44.

As shown in Fig. 1, the bottom 4.4 of the tank may be extended laterally beyond the sides and ends and turned up to form a marginal trough 45 adapted to collect and retain oil which overows or seeps from the tank. When the tank is lowered into place in the burner unit by means vof the handle 4,6, the trough at the rear of the tank engages the upturned flange 41 of the frame of the unit as a stop. The tank is prevented from shifting forwardly by one or more depending lugs 48, Vwhich are welded or otherwise connected to the front flange of the marginal trough 45 and engage in correspondingly located openings in the bottom of the unit. Shifting of the tank longitudinally is prevented by engagement with the end rails 31 of the frame of the burner unit.

"The wick tube I4 is located to extend upwardly along the extreme longitudinal front `edge of the .tank and accommodates -a wick or wicking 49.

This location for the wick tube results in certain important advantages presently to be explained. This wick tube extends longitudinally for substantially the full length of the tank E3 and is formed by correspondingly elongated spaced front and rear walls 56 and 5I. The front wall, in a sense, is a vertical continuation cf the front wall 4I of the tank I3, although it is in fact a separate plate having detachable connection with such front wall of the tank. This front wall of the wick tube may be a substantially fiat sheet metal plate which, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is folded upon itself along its lower longitudinal edge to provide a stiffened longitudinal ange portion 53 adapted to extend downwardly inside of the tank wall 4I and a slotted or hook-like portion 54 in which the upper edge of the tank wall engages. The ends of the wick tube may be closed by upright solid blocks or posts 55 (see Fig. 4), which are disposed between the walls of the wick tube and are welded, or otherwise secured, to the rear wall 5I thereof. End portions of the front wall 50 of the wick tube may be connected to these blocks by means of the screws 56.

The rear wall 5I of the wick tube may be an integral extension of the top wall 43 of the fuel tank, although it may be a separate part secured to the tank by welding or otherwise. Adjacent the base of the wick tube I may provide a longitudinally extending, substantially triangularly shaped, hollow sheet metal member 51 which is connected with the top wall of the fuel tank in such manner that its base wall 53 forms a continuation of the rear wall 5I of the wick tube.

The wicking '39 may be a web of any suitable material having absorbent and capillary characteristics, and may be readily inserted into the tank by removal of the front wall 53 of the wick tube. The wick may have a perforated metal plate 59 on the rear face thereof which serves both as a stiffening member and as a rack with which the star wheels or pinions 53 of the wick elevating mechanism cooperate. The base portion of the triangularly shaped member 51 may have spaced slots therein, through which the star wheels project to engage the wick plate 59. The wick is of a length to dip into the body of oil SI, in the tank I3, and to extend upwardly and project from the upper end of the wick tube. Movement of the wick up or down in the wick tube may be accomplished by rotation of the star wheels 50, which are pinned or keyed on a shaft 33. This shaft extends longitudinally of the burner, just rearwardly of the wick tube, and may be journaled in the end walls 40 of the tank. At one end of the tank an operating knob 55 is connected with the shaft so as to be accessible from the outside of the housing. The knob G5 may have a sleeve portion 63 (see Fig. 4) which slidably telescopes the shaft and may have a slot 31 in which a transverse pin 53 of the shaft operates. A coil compression spring 69, disposed between the inner end of the sleeve 63 and a shoulder of the shaft 63, normally causes the knob G5 to project through the opening 10 of the housing, but permits the knob to be moved inwardly through the housing opening when the burner assembly unit is to be withdrawn from the housing.

The top wall 43 of the fuel tank may be provided with a filling opening 1I and with a removable cap or plug 12 which normally closes this opening.

Adjacent the upper end of the wick tube I4 I provide the longitudinally extending hollow frame spreader I5, which may be formed of sheet metal or any other suitable material, and which has a forwardly projecting longitudinal flange I4 adapted to rest upon the top of the wick or upon the upper end of the wick tube, when the wick has been lowered. This llame spreader is provided with an air inlet opening or openings 15 in the bottom thereof and with numerous small air discharge perforations 16 in the front wall thereof, both above and below the laterally projecting flange 14.

I provide a pivotal mounting for the flame spreader I5, which may comprise a longitudinally extending pivot shaft I'I and spaced brackets 'I8 in which the pivot shaft is supported. These brackets are mounted on the rear wall of the wick tube and thus the fiame spreader is carried by and pivotally supported from the wick tube and can be brought into sealing engagement with the member 26, when the burner assembly unit is slid into the housing. The ame spreader is adapted to be swung on the pivot shaft from the position shown in Fig. 1 to its position of Fig. 2, either by upward movement of the wick or by a .manual lifting means if this is found to be desirable at the time of lighting the burner. This manual lifting means may comprise a longitudinally extending shaft 79 which is pivoted in the brackets 'I8 and has one or more arms or cranks 8| which engage the lower portion of the flame spreader at points spaced to the front of the pivot shaft Il. The shaft 7S may have a crank portion at one end thereof which extends through an arcuate slot 82 in the adjacent end wall 38 of the burner unit and is engaged by the inner end of an actuating rod or lever 83. This rod may be pivoted at an intermediate point thereof on the end plate 38, as indicated at 84, and may extend forwardly through an opening of the panel I2 and terminate in a handle portion 85. By rocking of the rod 83 upon its pivot 84, the shaft 'I9 can be swung upon its axis to thereby cause the crank arms 8l to lift the flame spreader I5.

By mounting the flame spreader I5 on the wick tube it will be seen that the spreader thereby becomes a more or less integral part of the burner assembly and is always maintained in proper cooperating relation to the wick and wick tube. Being always connected with the wick tube, the flame spreader will be removable from the housing I with the burner assembly unit II for inspection, cleaning or the like, and when the unit is replaced in the housing the flame spreader will assume its proper position relative to the housing structure. The mounting of the ame spreader on the wick tube with a pivotal support spaced rearwardly from the tube causes a substantial portion of the weight of the spreader to be carried by the wick tube with only a fraction of its weight pressing on the wick. Because of the substantial distance of the pivot from the wick, I nd that the flame spreader can be actuated by the wick without overloading of the wick adjusting means and without need for additional gearing or the like. This pivotal support also permits the ame spreader to be easily lifted by manual means to expose the wick when the burner is to be lighted.

To obtain efficient and satisfactory operation of a liquid fuel burner of this type, it is necessary to provide for an adequate supply of air to the region surrounding the upper end of the wick tube, so that the oil will be completely oxidized by a flame 81 extending from the exposed portion of the front face of the wick, substantially without burning or charring of the wick itself. In my improved oil burner I provide such an adequate supply of air at the front of the wick tube and also through the discharge perforations I5 of the flame spreader I5 and, at the same time, utilize the ow of combustion air for maintaining the tank and the lower portions of the heater at a relatively cool temperature. To form an air passage extending upwardly in front of the wick tube, I provide the front panel I2 of the burner assembly unit with a rearwardly extending longitudinal plate 83, which has an inner edge or flange portion 89, spaced from the front wall of the wick tube Vto form the air passage or space 95 therebetween. The front panel of the burner unit and the outer end walls 28 of the housing are provided respectively with louvered openings QI and S2, through which air enters the space in the housing below the plate 88 to flow upwardly through the passage 98 to the iiame B'I and adjacent combustion region. This inward and upward flow of air at the front of the fuel tank I3 tendsI to maintain the front wall 4I of the tank and also the oil supply therein at a relatively cool temperature.

I find that heating of the contents of the fuel tank can also be greatly reduced by locating the wick tube I4 to extend vertically upward at the extreme front edge of the tank, as mentioned above. When the wick tube is in this location, I find that heat, from the flame 8l and the adjacent combustion region, which is deiiected downwardly through the passage 90, cannot strike the tank but is dissipated into and absorbed by the incoming stream of air.

Another feature, which I iind to be very usefulv in reducing the amount of heat which is deflected downwardly from the flame and combustion region, is the elongated perforated plate or screen member 53, which extends across the air passage 55. The rear edge of this screen member may be connected with the wick tube by the screws 56 thereof and may have its forward edge received in a grooved longitudinal portion S4 of the plate member 88. This screen member effectively prevents heat from being deflected or projected downwardly from the flame and combustion regio-n, and also causes the supply of air to the flame to be more uniformly distributed throughout the length of the passage 95.

To secure the desired supply of air to the hollow flame spreader I5, I locate the fuel tank i3 with respect to the plate member 22 such that an air passage 85 is formed therebetween, extending upwardly over the tank to the inlet opening 'I5 of the ame spreader. Air is admitted to this passage by the louvered openings Sie in the rear wall of the housing. The flow of air inwardly through these openings and upwardly to the ame spreader I5 will pass over the rear and top walls of the fuel tank and tend to maintain the tank and its contents at a relatively low temperature.

When the burner assembly unit II is slid into the housing to the position shown in Fig. l, it will be noted that the end plates 38 cf the unit engage and slide lalong the inner faces of the inner end walls I9 of the housing. These end plates form closure members for the ends of the hollow flame spreader I5 and also form end walls between which the plate member 88, the perforated plate 93, and the wick tube extend. These end plates are of a length to extend rearwardly into the housing for a short distance beyond the innermost position of the flame spreader, that is, for a short distance beyond the Iflange 21 of the bumper and sealing member 26.

Clearance spaces or slots el (see Fig. 4) may be provided in the member 26 adjacent the ends thereof to accommodate the rear or inner end portions of the plate members 38. Thus, it will be seen that when the heater assembly unit is in position in the housing the air supply entering the lower portion of the housing through the openings 9|, 92, and 96 can blow upwardly through the housing only by passing through the hollow flame spreader 15 and through the air supply passage 99.

It may be desirable to prevent the flame from extending to the extreme ends of the wick and for this purpose I may provide the llame spreader l with flange-like portions or members 93 adjacent its ends which extend down and cover the end portions of the wick 49. The members 98 may be of angular clip-like form and may have one leg thereof welded or otherwise connected to the projecting longitudinal flange 'I4 of the flame spreader.

From the foregoing description and accompanying drawings it will be readily understood that I have provided an improved liquid fuel burner in which novel features and arrangements are incorporated, such as the provision of the burner assembly unit in drawer-like form adapted to be readily slid into or removed from the housing through a front opening thereof. It will also be seen that the wick tube construction and the mounting of the flame spreader adjacent the wick tube constitute novel features, and that the location of the fuel tank and the arrangement of the air supply passages are such that only a minimum amount of heat will be deflected or transmitted downwardly from the flame and combustion region and hence the tank and fuel supply will always be maintained in a relatively cool state.

While I have illustrated and described my improved liquid fuel burner in a somewhat detailed manner, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish'to be limited to the precise structural arrangements and details herein disclosed, but regard my invention as including such changes and modiiications as do not constitute a departure from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a liquid fuel burner, a fuel tank, a laterally elongated wick tube on said tank and extending thereabove, the front wall of the wick tube being substantially an upward continuation of the front wall of said tank, wicking in said tube, a flame spreader engageable with the top of the wicking and adapted to confine the flame to the front face of the wicking, said tank being formed to extend only rearwardly from the wick tube, and means spaced forwardly of the wick tube to provide therebetween an air passage leading up- A wardly to the llame.

2. In a liquid fuel burner, a fuel tank, a laterally elongated wick tube on said tank and extending thereabove, the front wall of the wick tube being substantially an upward continuation of the front wall of said tank, wicking in said tube, a name spreader engageable with the top of the wicking and adapted to confine the flame to the front face of the wicking, said spreader being hollow and having perforations for discharging air transversely over the wicking, means spaced forwardly of the wick tube to provide therebetween an air passage leading upwardly to the flame, said tank being formed to extend only rearwardly from the wick tube,

and means spaced from the tank to provide a passage for a flow of air over the tank and upwardly into said hollow spreader.

3. In a liquid fuel burner, a fuel tank, a wick tube on said tank and extending thereabove, wicking in said tube, pivot means spaced rearwardly from' the wick tube, and a flame spreader mounted o-n said pivot means for swinging relative to the wick tube and adapted to confine the flame to the front face of the wicking.

4. In a liquid fuel burner, a fuel tank, a wick tube on said tank having substantially flat front and back walls, at wicking in said tube, brackets on the rear wall of the wick tube and extending rearwardly therefrom, and an elongated flame spreader pivotally supported by said brackets and engageable with the upper end of the wicking.

5. In a liquid fuel burner, a fuel tank having walls including a front wall, a wick tube on said tank having substantially flat front and back walls, and flat wicking in said tube, said front wall of the wick tube being a substantially flat member having an elongated hook-like portion adapted for detachable engagement with the front wall of the tank, the removal of such front wall affording access to the tank for inserting the wicking thereinto.

6. In a liquid fuel burner, a fuel tank, and a wick tube on the tank having a removable front wall, said front wall of the wick tube having detachable connection with the front wall of the tank and its removal affording access to the tank for insertion of wicking.

7. In a burner of the character described, a housing having a front opening and spaced end walls with guide means thereon extending rearwardly intoV the housing from said opening, a drawer-like structure operable in said guide means for movement into and out of the housing and having a front wall adapted to substantially close said opening when said structure is in its inner position, a fuel tank on said structure having a laterally elongated wick tube at the `front thereof with a wick therein, an elongated flame spreader movably mounted on the wick tube for engagement with the top of the wick and adapted to confine the llame to the front face of the wick, means on said drawer-like structure and'spaced in front of the wick tube to provide a passage for the flow of air upwardly to the flame, and a screen extending across the passage and engaging the wick tube below the top thereof.

8. In a burner of the character described, a housing having a front opening and spaced end walls with guide means thereon extending rearwardly into the housing from said opening, a drawer-like structure operable in said guide means for movement into and out of the housing and having a front wall adapted to substantially close said opening when said structure is in its inner position, a plate member extending longitudinally of the housing and spaced inwardly from said front opening, a fuel tank on said structure having a wick tube with a wick therein, and an elongated flame spreader supported adjacent the wick tube for engagement with the upper end of the wick and movable into engagement with said plate member by movement of said structure into the housing.

9. In a burner of the character described, a housing having a front opening and spaced end walls with guide means thereon extending rearwardly into the housing from said opening, a drawer-like structure operable in said guide means for movement into and out of the housing and having a front Wall adapted to substantially close said opening when said structure is in its inner position, a fuel tank on said structure having a laterally elongated wick tube with a wick therein, an elongated flame spreader pivoted on the wick tube and engageable with the upper end of the wick, an elongated sealing member in the housing inwardly of the front opening thereof and adapted to be engaged by the flame spreader when said structure is moved into the housing, and means mounting said sealing member to permit yielding thereof when engaged by the flame spreader.

10. In a burner of the character described, a fuel tank, a laterally elongated wick tube on said tank, wicking in said tube, and a correspondingly elongated flame spreader engageable with the top of the wicking and adapted to conne the flame to the front face of the wicking, said flame spreader having means thereon adjacent its ends to prevent the ame from extending to the extreme ends of the wicking.

LEO L. WILLIAMS. 

